AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the swift ninja adds his Intelligence bonus (if any) to his AC. In addition, a swift ninja gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five monk levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level).

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the swift ninja is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

Sneak Attack: If a swift ninja can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The swift ninja ’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the swift ninja flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every two swift ninja levels thereafter. Should the swift ninja score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, a swift ninja can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.

A swift ninja can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The swift ninja must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A swift ninja cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

Trapfinding: Swift Ninja s (and only swift ninja s) can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.

Finding a nonmagical traps has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic traps has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

Swift Ninja s (and only swift ninja s) can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic traps generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

A swift ninja who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it.

Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a swift ninja can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflexsaving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the swift ninja is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless swift ninja does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Trap Sense (Ex): At 3rd level, a swift ninja gains an intuitive sense that alerts her to danger from traps, giving her a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise to +2 when the swift ninja reaches 6th level, to +3 when she reaches 9th level, to +4 when she reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level.

Fast Movement (Ex): At 3rd level, a swift ninja gains an enhancement bonus to his speed, as shown on Table: The Swift Ninja. A swift ninja in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

Blaze: At level 3 a Swift Ninja can engulfs the area around him with an explosion of fire that stretches across a 10 yard radius dealing 1d6 fire damage for every two Swift Ninja levels 3 times per day. The targets first gets a Will save (DC= 10 + 1/2 the Shadow ninjas class level plus his Intelligence modifier) to recognize the image as unreal. If that save fails, the flames touch the subjects. Enemies caught in this may make a reflex saving throw of the 10 + 1/2 the Shadow ninjas class level plus his Intelligence modifier for half damage.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a swift ninja can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A swift ninja of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked.

This defense denies another swift ninja or rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more swift ninja levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum swift ninja level required to flank the character.

Deadly Throw: Instead of dealing normal damage when throwing objects the Swift Ninja triples the damage dice of the item and always does at least half the maximum damage with it. If the roll is less than half the maximum damage then roll is automatically considered half the maximum damage.

Blitz: At level 6 a Swift Ninja can shoot a ray of lightning that stretches across 75 yards in front of him dealing 1d6 electric damage for every two Swift Ninja levels 3 times per day. The targets first gets a Will save (DC= 10 + 1/2 the Shadow ninjas class level plus his Intelligence modifier) to recognize the image as unreal. If that save fails, the lightning touches the subjects. Enemies caught in this may make a reflex saving throw of the 10 + 1/2 the Shadow ninjas class level plus his Intelligence modifier for half damage.

Smoke: At level 7 a Swift Ninja can create an orb of smoke. This ability is treated the same as the darkness spell.

Frost: At level 9 a Swift Ninja can shoot a cone of ice that stretches across 60 yards in front of him dealing 1d6 cold damage for every two Swift Ninja levels 3 times per day. The targets first gets a Will save (DC= 10 + 1/2 the Shadow ninjas class level plus his Intelligence modifier) to recognize the image as unreal. If that save fails, the ice touches the subjects. Enemies caught in this may make a reflex saving throw of the 10 + 1/2 the Shadow ninjas class level plus his Intelligence modifier for half damage.

Special Abilities: On attaining 10th level, and at every three levels thereafter (13th, 16th, and 19th), a swift ninja gains a special ability of her choice from among the following options.

Crippling Strike (Ex): A swift ninja with this ability can sneak attack opponents with such precision that her blows weaken and hamper them. An opponent damaged by one of her sneak attacks also takes 2 points of Strength damage. Ability points lost to damage return on their own at the rate of 1 point per day for each damaged ability.

Defensive Roll (Ex): The swift ninja can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it than she otherwise would. Once per day, when she would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the swift ninja can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the swift ninja must attempt a Reflexsaving throw (DC=damage dealt). If the save succeeds, she takes only half damage from the blow; if it fails, she takes full damage. She must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute her defensive roll—if she is denied her Dexterity bonus to AC, she can’t use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the swift ninja ’s evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll.

Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability works like evasion, except that while the swift ninja still takes no damage on a successful Reflexsaving throw against attacks henceforth she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless swift ninja does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Skill Mastery: The swift ninja becomes so certain in the use of certain skills that she can use them reliably even under adverse conditions.

Upon gaining this ability, she selects a number of skills equal to 3 + her Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check with one of these skills, she may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so. A swift ninja may gain this special ability multiple times, selecting additional skills for it to apply to each time.

Slippery Mind (Ex): This ability represents the swift ninja ’s ability to wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel her. If a swift ninja with slippery mind is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails her saving throw, she can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. She gets only this one extra chance to succeed on her saving throw.

Feat: A swift ninja may gain a bonus feat in place of a special ability.

Hide in Plain Sight: At 14th level, a Swift Ninja can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a Swift Ninja can hide from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind.

Blink: At 18th level a Swift Ninja can use the blink spell once/encounter.

Shadowbind: At 19th level a Swift Ninja can throw a shuriken at the shadow of an enemy for a ranged touch attack. If the attack succeeds the target must make a will save (DC= 10 + 1/2 the Shadow ninjas class level plus his Intelligence modifier) or become completely immobilized until either the shuriken is take out of the shadow or until the shadow is manipulated to no longer touch the shuriken. this ability does not work on any creatures more than 1 size larger than the Swift Ninja.

Kaze-Kazakami: At 20th level all melee weapons held by the swift ninja are considered +5 magic reach weapons that glow light blue whenever the swift ninja is within 20 ft. of any invisibility spell.